The Hanging Tree
by Rovell
Summary: Post Winter Cup. Midorima couldn't shake the horrible feeling he felt one evening. However, nothing happened much to his relief. But if that was the case, then why did he felt like there was a hole in his memories? The nightmares didn't help either. MidoTaka with side MiyaHaya.


Soooo...it's been a while since I last wrote a fanfic. Fanfic writing is really not my forte. I'm usually more of a original story writer but for some reasons, I love KnB so much that I decided to write one of my own. This is my first time writing a full long one shot so please be gentle with me. Also, this took ages to complete, around 2 years I guess cause I was out of the fandom along the way lol but now I'm back :D Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it~ I know they're really long(I was surprised myself actually hahaha) but bear with me on this ^^;

 **Proofread by my sister. Thank you sis :D**

 **Story is inspired by The Hanging Tree from Hunger Games and Uninvited.**

 **Disclaimer: KnB doesn't belong to me obviously or all my OTPs would be canon by now lol**

 **Warning: Major character death, suicide, depressing thoughts, OOC, extreme cheesiness(just in case hahaha). Read at your own risk.**

* * *

It was cold. His face. His fingers. His bare feet. Everything. What a cruel sensation. Then again, how could it not be? He had gone out, barefooted withonly his white t-shirt and black pants on, and only one destination in his mind.

The park.

His lover was waiting for him and he had no intention in making him wait like he usually does.

No. Not this time.

"Shin-chan!"

Was what he heard when he arrived at their destined place. Before he could do anything, a pair of arms wrapped around his torso, spreading warmth throughout his icy body. His lover was always warm. That's why he enjoyed having him in his arms, though he would never admit it.

"Kazunari," he murmured as he buried his face in his lover's soft raven locks. His long arms enclosed around the other boy's much smaller frame tightly like a cocoon as though escape was not an option. Perhaps it was though neither of them would have minded.

A smile curved on the said person's lips at the mention of his name. Happiness burst in his chest, sending butterflies in his stomach. His Shin-chan does not call him by his given name often so when he did, he couldn't help but felt his heart went 'doki doki'; as cliche as it sounded.

Shin-chan still had his face hidden in Kazunari's hair. A lone tear ran down his cheek.

He's here.

Kazunari was still here.

So where had it gone wrong?

...

The azure sky had already gone dark by the time they finished the practice. All of the members, including the coach, had scurried out of the gym to seek the comfort of their home. No one stayed back for extra practice, unlike before.

After the Winter Cup passed with Seirin emerged as the victor, the practice in Shuutoku went on as usual but less vigorous than the daily dose. Practices were currently only held during school days. They may have lost the tournament but for all the efforts they had put in, a little break wouldn't hurt.

The third-year regulars had retired from the club as entrance exams were just around the corner. Even so, they still came for the practice occasionally when they need a study break or whenever time is available.

Midorima would have preferred to stay behind to polish his shots more if it wasn't for a certain raven-haired boy who kept pestering him not to as they needed to - as Takao said - relax a little bit since opportunity like this only comes 'once in the blue moon'. He would have just asked him - more like shooing him away actually - to go ahead without him. However, Takao, being a stubborn person, whined that he wanted to walk his boyfriend home - correction: give his boyfriend a ride home using the rickshaw - in which Midorima retorted that he's not a girl and that he can take care of himself. That didn't stop Takao though.

On the contrary, it just made him teased his tsundere boyfriend more, much to the green-haired boy's chagrin. So in the end, he gave in into Takao's request, simply to shut him up. He's lucky that he is his boyfriend, otherwise he would never ever give in - not that he would admit it.

Midorima sighed as he leaned back in the rickshaw, gazing up at the starry sky. Somehow for some unknown reasons, he felt rather uneasy like something bad is about to happen. He wondered why. His emerald orbs scanned the slow-moving surrounding, searching for any possible things which triggered such feelings. There was none. Everything was as normal as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. Even so, that didn't chase away the uncomfortable feeling.

His mind wandered back to Oha Asa which he religiously watched every morning. Cancer was at the third bottom today and his lucky item - which was a Mashimaro plushie - was sitting beside him. Usually at days like this, he wouldn't feel anxious as long as he had his lucky item with him. However, today was not that day. Maybe he was just being paranoid. He had everything Oha Asa had told him to do so it should be fine. It was just his imagination was what he told himself.

Just an imagination….

"Shin-chan, can I have a kiss?" Takao asked, puckering his lips towards his horoscope-obsessed boyfriend, who jumped out of the rickshaw.

"No." Midorima pushed his glasses up, as he usually did, while turning away from his hawk-eye boyfriend, knowing full well he'll fall into the 'cute' trap if he faced him (much to his dismay). Not that he thought that pout was cute.

"Awww~ Come on, Shin-chan. You know you want iiiittt..." the raven head teased with a grin plastered on his lips. Oh, so the 'cute' trap didn't work. Smart Shin-chan. Well, if that didn't work then he'll just have to pester him until he gave in. It was fun teasing Shin-chan. His ace-sama may be all big and everything, not to mention his personality and quirks which tended to irk people to no end but in Takao's eyes, he's the most adorable person in the world.

Most people, including the GoM, found it hard to believe how anyone could like Midorima (in a romantic way), much less being in a relationship with him. They seriously thought he was asexual (The only sexual relationship he ever had is probably with Oha-Asa) and they certainly didn't see how adorable he is. However, they don't understand Shin-chan like he does. They didn't even try to make the effort to understand him and Takao intended to keep it that way. He prides himself in being able to read Shin-chan like a book.

"Absolutely no."

"Shin-channnnn~ Please~ It's really tiring to ride this rickshaw you know. You're not exactly the lightest person in the world. I think I deserve a reward." Takao pouted.

"Hmph. That's your problem, idiot."

"So cruel, Shin-chan. Please~"

"No."

"Please~"

"No."

"Please~"

"Which part of 'no' doesn't meet your understanding?"

"Please~"

"Takao, no."

"Shin-chaaaaannnn~"

"No."

"Shiinn-chaaaannnn~"

Ignore.

"Shiiinnn-chaaaaannn~"

Ignore.

"Shi-"

"Alright, enough already!" Midorima snapped and whirled around to face the other boy with a vein popped on his forehead. God, he's so annoying!

A bright smile formed on Takao's face, causing Midorima's heart to skip a beat despite his annoyance - as cliche as it sounded. He had to fight the urge to clutch his chest.

"Thanks, Shin-chan! I love you so much!" and with that said, Takao jumped into the green- haired boy's arms, arms around his neck, pulling him down a little with a kiss planted on his lips. It wasn't a full out make out session which was deep and passionate or included lip biting and the clashes of teeth, which was better off done in bed - sweet would be the right word. That's what it's usually was. Sneaky kiss, good morning kiss, the 'See you tomorrow' kiss...it's like a honey - a drug that tastes like honey. Once addicted, it's difficult to get it out of your system.

When they pulled away, Midorima had red splashes on his cheeks while Takao grinned goofily. "Shin-chan, you're sooo cute!"

Midorima pushed up his glasses again and turned away to hide his obvious embarrassment, not that it mattered since his ears was burning. "I..Idiot! Shut up!"

The point guard giggled at his boyfriend's antic. Seriously, Shin-chan is really funny and dense when it comes to these romantic gestures. Even so, that didn't mean the shooting guard was innocent. Behind the closed doors, he can be possessive and also quite aggressive during their intimate moments. So unlike his tsundere self in the public. If Takao told anyone that Shin-chan can be a beast, they probably wouldn't believe him and might even laughed at the statement (specifically, Aomine and Kise). Not that he minded 'cause he intended to keep it as his dirty little secret.

"See you tomorrow, Shin-chan! Don't miss me too much! Love you!" Takao waved as he drove away on his bike-plus-rickshaw into the night.

"Be quiet, Takao!" Midorima said, sighing softly. His boyfriend is so noisy. However, he won't be Takao if he wasn't. The corners of his mouth quirked upward, carving a rare smile on his countenance. He won't have it any other way. A display of affection in the public was rarely initiated by him. Takao usually started it first. While romance wasn't something he's not aware of, it was fairly new to him, in terms of experience - one of the reasons why he didn't make the first move - that and the embarrassment.

Midorima loves Takao. Perhaps even more than he should. He's fully aware he didn't utter those three words often and he knew Takao understands. Still, he made sure to slip those words every now and then, when there was only them and no one else, at least to let Takao knows that he felt the same way. He may appear as if he didn't give a crap about it but deep inside, doubt was something he didn't want Takao to feel about their relationship.

His orbs remained on the path which Takao had disappeared. The uneasiness came crashing down on him like a raging wave. Why? Why did it come back? It was fine a few moments ago. Oddly enough, it returned the moment Takao was out of his sight.

Midorima clutched the plushie in his arms. He hoped this wasn't the sign of something bad that was bound to happen and that the feeling was simply a hoax in his mind. He prayed Takao would be fine on his way home.

Another sigh escaped and off he entered his house, bringing along the disturbance of his mind with him, which he desperately tried to ignore.

...

Morning has risen with the sun peeking behind the clouds. It was still pretty early for most people to start their day yet drowsiness had already evaporated from a certain ace of Shuutoku. He was up for his early morning jog so he put on his sneakers and closed the door behind him quietly as not to wake up his family from slumbers. He inhaled the fresh morning scent and did a few stretches before heading off.

There weren't many people at this hour so Midorima felt serenity swirling in his mind. The cool dancing breeze. The chillness of the morning. And the resonance of birds' chirpings only added to the calmness as his feet brought him to the local park, where he often jogged around. It was a sunrise spread with tranquility and silence.

But sometimes, too much tranquility and silence were not good things.

The park was usually void of human's presence in these early hours. Even if there were, there would only be two to three people at most. Technically, Midorima was used to this loneliness as he had done this almost every day but somehow, it didn't feel the same this time. The silence was too loud even for someone like him, who prefers quietness over noises. Excluding Takao mind you. The birds' chirpings which passed through his ears not long ago had disappeared. When it had gone, he never noticed. Then, the last night's uneasiness clenched his heart once again.

His jog slowed down to a walk. He looked around but found nothing out of ordinary. If there was nothing, then why didn't he feel right? He wanted to dismiss the feeling like he did (tried) yesterday but for some reasons, he couldn't. As though his legs moved without his consent, he strolled along the path, passing by the trees on either sides, and stopped when he saw something quite peculiar hanging from a tree which stood several feet away from him.

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He squinted his eyes to get a better look. Still, even with his glasses, the object remained unknown to him. It was hidden in the shade of the big tree, making it difficult to be identified unless you closed the distance between - and that was what he did.

As he drew nearer, the hanging object started to become clearer. It looked like a mannequin of sort. 'What is it doing here?' he thought. Then, realisation hit him like falling bricks.

'Wait...that's not...no...' Without a moment of hesitation, his legs began to pick up speed towards the tree. His green eyes widened at the sight before him when he stopped underneath the looming figure. Horror written all over his face. He couldn't believe what was laid in front of him.

"N...no...it-"

That was his last words before darkness claimed his consciousness.

...

Heavy. His eyelids felt quite heavy as though somebody put a weight on them. He tried to open them but it wouldn't budge so he tried again slowly. His eyes fluttered open and the first thing he saw was a bright light which burned his retina slightly, causing his eyes to squint. Once his sight adapted to the glaring light, he looked around with confusion twirling inside his head. His blurry sight just made it worse so as automatically, his hand reached out to the small table beside him, grabbed his glasses and put it on. He was in the hospital.

'Why am I here? How..?' he thought as he sat up on the bed.

His mind tried to wander back to the time before he woke up here but for some odd reasons, nothing was found. All he could remember was that he went out for his daily morning jog, taking his usual routes and then blackout. That's all. What happened? Why was he here? And how did he end up here?

So many questions jumbling inside his head yet no answers were given. He tried to come up with some explanations like maybe somebody hit his head or something. However, that didn't make sense because there was no pain in his head at all. Not even bandages. He felt completely fine. Then what?

Midorima was about to get off of the bed when he noticed there was another person in the room. Head rested on his folded arms, eyes shut to feed the drowsiness and the raven locks he recognised and loved so much.

Takao.

He must have been the one who found him and brought him here after whatever had happened. Seeing his boyfriend's sleeping face, it made him wonder how long had he been out. He pondered on the blank questions again that he didn't notice the black-haired boy was waking up from his nap.

"Shin-chan, are you okay?"

The sudden voice startled Midorima out of his mind, causing his green orbs to meet with the point guard's silvery blue ones, swimming with concern and relief.

"Yes..I think." As far as he could tell anyway. To be honest, he wasn't sure himself. "Why am I here, Takao?"

"Eh? You don't remember, Shin-chan?"

"I woouldn't have asked you if I did."

That met with a chuckle. "True. Well, you fainted on the park. You didn't come down when I went to your house and your mum told me that you never came home since this morning when you usually went out for jogging so I searched for you in the park. That's how I found you. I called the ambulance and here you are."

Midorima blinked, the information gradually sinking in. "And how long was I out?"

"The whole morning."

"What?!"

"But don't worry, Shin-chan! I already told the coach and senpais about what happened and that we won't be attending practice today."

"Takao, why didn't you go to the practice?!"

"Cause I wanna be with Shin-chan!" Takao exclaimed happily, stretching his arms across the greenette's lap while placing his head on them. "I was so worried. I...I thought you're gonna die. You could have hit your head and God knows what would happen if I didn't find you." His previously cheery voice instantly swarmed with rue and fear at the thought of his Shin-chan going away without a word of farewell.

Midorima was stunned. A rueful tone never suited his lover's sunny personality. Sure, he had seen him cried before over their loss against Rakuzan (so was he) but that was different. That's the common sadness experienced by most athletes.

This sadness, however, was caused by something more precious. Midorima felt a twinge of guilt sparked inside, knowing that he caused this dull blue emotion. Not on purpose - not to mention, unconsciously - but it couldn't be helped so he let out a sigh and gently placed his right hand on Takao's head.

"Idiot. You think too much."

The raven-haired boy chuckled. "I know."

 _'There's no way I'll ever leave unless you go first. Even then, I'll follow you until you're back in my arms again.'_

Those words echoed in the greenette's head.

...

For some unknown reasons, Midorima was asked to stay for one week despite not suffering from any injuries. It puzzled him but he came to the conclusion that perhaps the doctor was just being extra cautious (though it was unnecessarily too cautious in his opinion). He had tried to talk his way out with his parents but they had objected and kept saying that the doctor needed to check up on him in case there's any problem. This added to his perplexity. He would have argued more if it wasn't for his little sister pleading him to stay and God knows he couldn't resist her, just like with Takao. That and his parents' worried glances.

There was probably something wrong but they gave him the same answers and his sister kept uttering 'Don't worry, brother. The doctor will make you feel better again' with teary eyes, whenever he asked. Another one to be added to his 'list of perplexity'. So in the end, like it or not, he gave up.

During his stay, Takao handled his lucky items of the day. They would watch Oha Asa in the morning and Takao would get his lucky items for him since he wasn't allowed to go out of his ward, much less the hospital. Honestly, he gave up on trying to figure out the reasons.

Also, other than his family and Takao, his teammates as well his former Teikou teammates (excluding Akashi and Murasakibara) plus Momoi and Kagami visited him much to his surprise. He thought the visit was unnecessary since he was completely fine but silently, he appreciated it, considering the fact that most of them found it hard to get along with him.

Then, one week had passed and Midorima was finally released from the hospital much to his relief. Everything fell back into routine in no time. It still bothered the greenette about the cause for his blackout in the park but he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind so yeah, everything had gone back to normal. Or has it? How he wished it was that easy.

Anxiety burdened itself on his shoulder lately. He didn't know why but nightmare appeared in front of him in his sleep. The images...sometimes they were really vivid, other times they were rather foggy. The imaginary horror always involved his beloved Takao. Injuries, bleeding, dying, mutilated...it was torture. It felt so real to the point the first time it appeared, he woke up in the middle of the night, panting in fear, grabbed his phone and called his lover. The hawk-eye owner was annoyed at being woken up from his peaceful slumber. However, that quickly evaporated the moment he heard fear in Shin-chan's voice, which was so out of his usual character. It took almost one hour to calm the greenette down. Not to mention, he almost went into panic attack.

The nightmare continued in a seemingly never ending circle. Waking up in fright, panting and then staring into nothingness for an hour, more or less, before eventually losing himself into a dreamless slumber. It slowly planted exhaustion within him, physically and emotionally. During school lessons, his eyes would be laced with sleep. Once or twice, he was caught asleep by his teacher. Before, he would be ashamed, plus it probably even ruined his reputation as one of the best students but somehow, he just couldn't find it in him to care. Then during practice, he would get quite snappy when disturbed (Again, Takao was an exception since he's like a 'safe haven' for Midorima) much to his coach and teammates' chagrin and his stamina seemed to decrease. He also didn't stay back for extra practice anymore.

There were times he thought perhaps he shouldn't sleep but decided against it since it wouldn't do him any good. Takao was unaware of this fact and he didn't plan on telling him because maybe, just maybe, he could handle this by himself. Besides, the only time he could have had a proper rest was when Takao had a sleepover in his house, which was not often, but better than nothing at all. Perhaps, the rotten dream didn't haunt him during this time because he had Takao secured in his arms. That way, he was sure that no one can steal his Takao away from him.

There was another thing about his dream that scratched his mind. Among all the clear and blurry scenes, there was one particular scene which was rather perculiar in comparison to the others. The scene was vivid yet hidden at the same time. He was in the local park where he usually did his morning jog, walking along the paths with an invisible force guiding him. There was a huge tree and underneath the shadow of the branches and leaves, a mannequin like object was in a grip of a noose. He remembered the feeling of shock which exploded within him as his legs drew him nearer, giving him a clearer vision of the said thing. He remembered recognising it but when he jolted out of his slumber, the answer immediately escaped from his dreamy memories.

He wondered if that scene was the forgotten piece before the blackout. It felt awfully familiar like it actually happened before but at the same time, it didn't. If it was real, what exactly did he see which was enough to knock him unconscious? If it wasn't, then why did he faint all of the sudden when he was absolutely fine? The confusion was starting to hurt his head. Why did he even bother to think about it in the first place? Right; because they just won't leave him alone.

"Shin-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay? You seemed pretty tired lately. Did something happen?" Takao asked, right hand stroking the emerald locks.

It's lunch break. Both of them went to the rooftop where they often had their lunch together. Currently, Shin-chan had his head laid on Takao's lap, eyes shut for a rest. The raven-haired boy was worried about his boyfriend. Lately, he seemed to be burdened with fatigue and it was obviously affecting his performance. At first, he thought he was just tired after getting out of the hospital but the fatigue seemed to never leave his boyfriend's side even after a month. He had confronted him once but Shin-chan refused to tell and insisted that he was fine.

He had let it rest so this time, he tried again. Unfortunately-

"Nothing happened. Just let me rest for a while."

Takao frowned. "But-"

"Kazunari." Shin-chan gently grabbed the raven-haired boy's left hand and placed it on his cheek, covering the smaller hand with his larger one. "It's okay. Don't worry about me," he muttered as emerald met with the silvery blue ones before the emerald fluttered shut again. The gesture stunned the raven-head for a second, not because of the soft action itself but because this was the first time he has seen his Shin-chan being fragile and he didn't like it one bit. Fragile didn't suit Midorima Shintarou at all. He couldn't help but allowing the guilt to consume his heart for letting his lover carrying the burden by himself.

"Okay, Shin-chan. If you say so," Takao sighed, letting the matter go - for now at least.

...

"Ta-"

Midorima paused when he saw his black-haired lover standing in the locker room, back turned towards him, gazing at the newspaper he held in his hand. Seeing Takao in that position was a bit odd but that was not what made the green-haired boy paused in his track. Although he was facing Takao's back, he could tell that his lover was upset, judging from his posture and the soft sigh he emitted, which puzzled him. He assumed it had something to do with the article in the newspaper Takao was holding but somehow he doubted his assumption, seeing that there was too much rue floating around the point guard for a mere article. Honestly, it worried him.

"Takao."

The said boy whirled around, shocked at the sudden presence of another person in the room. He calmed down when the other person turned out to be only his lover. Putting his right hand on his chest to 'calm' his racing heart, he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Man, Shin-chan, you scared me. Since when did you have misdirection?" Takao let out a relief sigh, folding the newspaper before shoving it in his locker. "I thought you're Miyaji-san."

Under normal circumstances, Midorima would have retorted 'Idiot, you're just too dumb to notice' or something similar. However, Takao's quick change of mood concerned him.

"Takao, is there something wrong?" he asked, blunt and direct to the point as always.

The raven-head tensed and slowly closed his locker before turning to face his lover, a strained smile tainted with rue plastered on his face. "I would very much like to say 'It's nothing.' but you won't be fooled."

"Hmph. Even a fool won't fall for it." Midorima frowned.

"So mean, Shin-chan~" Takao pouted before letting out a chuckle, which made the Oha Asa's loyal follower happy even if it was just an atom's weight. "Anyway...I'll tell you when the time is right."

The hawk-eye owner headed to the door, clasping their hands together and dragged his lover along the way. "Come on, Shin-chan. It's practice time."

"Wait Takao...you still haven't answer my question," Midorima asked as he stared at the back of Takao's head, waiting.

The raven-head paused for a second before facing the emerald-haired shooter with a grin. "Don't worry, Shin-chan. I'll tell you when the time is right. Unfortunately, now is not the time."

To anyone else, Takao would be his usual cheerful self but Midorima could see right through his sunny facade from all the times they have spent together despite the fact - technically - they only really know each other in approximately a year and half. Those green eyes could tell that Takao was hiding a grave secret which sent waves of concern and confusion through him. As much as his curiosity was boiling inside, he decided to respect Takao's decision as forcing the answer out wouldn't get them anywhere, knowing how stubborn Takao can be sometimes.

"Very well then," he said as he pushed his glasses up again.

"Thanks, Shin-chan~" Takao stood on his tippy toes and planted a quick peck on his Shin-chan's soft lips, causing heat to form on the greenette's cheeks. Takao giggled at the sight. He would have teased Shin-chan more but right now, it was almost practice time.

"Come on, Shin-chan! Let's go before Miyaji-san decided to follow his brother's step and throw pineapple at us."

And with that, the pair hurried to the gym.

...

A few weeks had passed and the newspaper incident had long since buried itself at the back of Midorima's mind. Everything was as normal as ever, at least as normal as it can be with the nightmare still chasing him every night. He liked to believe that he had grown accustomed to them - and it was not exactly a lie especially if you think the nightmare has become a part of your daily life. They still inflicted severe fear in him as they did the first time - only this time, he knew what to expect so even though he dreaded the thought of slumber every night, he decided to just go through it because he knew he will lose either way. It was hell of course but what choice does he have?

Now, he was sitting on the bench inside the gym locker room, staring into nothingness. Everyone was long gone, including his boyfriend, as practice has already started. He needed a few minutes rest before sharpening his skills so he told Takao to go ahead without him and that he'll catch up later. While he said he had grown 'accustomed' to the nightmare, it didn't mean they stopped affecting him physically. They still do but it had merely become another burden to carry. Truth to be told, he wondered why he hadn't yet drop dead by now, considering all the burdens he was forced to endure.

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his daze before exhaling a sigh. 'Time for practice now.'

The ace was about to rise from his seat when he noticed a newspaper beside him, splayed out on the bench, revealing a huge, black-inked title printed on the front page. An immediate horror spread within him as he read the title. His hands trembled when he reached out to take the newspaper for a closer inspection, desperately praying that what he read was just a trick of an eye. He even blinked a few times to make sure that it wasn't a delusion. Unfortunately, the title remained the same as it had the first time he viewed it. It's a lie...it has to be a lie!

A knock echoed in the locker room yet the emerald eyes remained fixated on the paper despite the fact he knew he was no longer alone in the room.

"Oi, Midorima!"

Miyaji called from the entrance with Ootsubo and Kimura standing behind him. After they have graduated and entered university, obviously it's difficult for them to find the time to visit their old basketball team. Usually, one or two of the seniors would come. This is one of the rare moments where all three of them are able to show up at the same time.

Despite knowing the consequence of ignoring his senpai, Midorima remained completely deaf to the call. Instead, his attention was still clinging to the newspaper. His action caused a vein to pop on Miyaji's head.

"Why you little s-"

"Senpai."

Miyaji stopped, confused at the sudden interruption. Not to mention, his green-haired kouhai sounded scared which was very out of character of him. Judging from the silence and tense atmosphere hovering around, he assumed Ootsubo and Kimura were also stunned.

Midorima slowly turned to face his senpais, a blank canvas on his countenance but several dull colours could be seen swirling in his emerald orbs. The sight sent a wave of uneasiness and worry over the three former Shuutoku players.

"Se...senpai...wha...what is the meaning of this?" he questioned, voice heavily dipped with anxiety as his arms extended to hand the paper to his senpais.

Their eyes widened as they looked at the familiar newspaper. That particular newspaper which held an article that drowned all of them in sorrow for weeks after it was released because written on the article's title was 'Student found hanged on the tree in xxx park' and there was a mention of Shuutoku High in the written report. Not to mention, the picture of the said student was also included. How the greenette acquired it now after 2 months of its release - not to mention - in the locker room of all places, they had no idea. However, one thing for sure, this was not going to go smooth.

Ootsubo took the paper from Midorima when Miyaji and Kimura made no move to do so. Honestly, he really wished he didn't have to do this. He wished he didn't have to be the person that have to break the terrible news to his kouhai but knowing his friends, he had no choice in this matter.

Tension reigned over them for a moment before-

"Takao's gone, Midorima." The said boy's eyes widened in shock at the confirmation. You could almost hear the sound of breaking as his already cracked world started to shatter in pieces. Ootsubo could feel guilt and regret crawling in his heart, threatening to suffocate him. He should have seen this coming. He had his suspicion for a while that something snapped within Midorima ever since the day they found out the truth. However, he simply brushed it off as grief. The few times he met the greenette after that day, he seemed fine enough despite the gloom surrounding him, which was understandable. Truth to be told, he didn't think the misery would swallow his kouhai completely. In a way, he had underestimated the depth of bond between the Shuutoku's light and shadow.

"He has been for a while, Midorima," Kimura intervened much to Ootsubo's relief. "You were the one who found him."

"B...but...I...saw...him. He's...here," Midorima whispered brokenly.

His senpai shook his head. "Only you saw him."

Upon the words were uttered, he fell into the time of the past two months. The door of truth has finally opened for him. Memories began to appear in his head in a lightning speed. They're so fast that it's a wonder how his head didn't explode right then and there. Among all those flashes, he saw himself in the park, meeting his beloved's lifeless silver blue orbs as he stared up at the tree where he was hanged. Immediately, the next thing he saw was pitch black. He saw himself sitting in the hospital, emotionless gaze fixed on the window with tears rolling down his cheeks. Although, he didn't face his friends and teammates who had come to pay a visit day by day, he was fully aware they were there but he couldn't bring himself to respond as he was trapped inside his own grief. He could hear his family talking to his doctor though he could barely make out any of the conversation. In the midst of his caged mind, his little sister was trying to reach out to him, assuring him that he would be okay even though he was too deep in the sea to be saved. He saw himself in his room in the middle of the night, listening to Takao's voicemail as he called him. He saw himself on the rooftop with no one else in sight, his bento laid forgotten beside him as he gazed at the azure sky. He saw himself in the gym, practicing his shots mechanically like a robot and his captain and teammates watched helplessly, unable to get through him. He saw himself standing alone in the locker room with a newspaper held in his hand and then placed it on the bench. More and more scenes were presented but they all had one thing in common: Takao was absent.

"Midorima?" Miyaji called hesitantly when his green-haired kouhai remained unresponsive. His unresponsiveness made all of them nervous as he seemed like he could burst at any time. Not to mention, the tension hanging in the room had yet to leave.

The blond reluctantly placed his hand on Midorima's shoulder to shake him out of his trance. For a moment, it didn't seem to work but suddenly, he slowly shook his head and took a few steps back, muttering 'no' under his breath.

"No...no...it's a lie...you're lying!" he cried, shaking his head in denial. He refused to accept it! It didn't matter if he had just witnessed the truth. It didn't matter if the very evidence was right in front of him, taking a form of printed papers. He refused to believe that Takao had left him.

"We would never lie about something like this, Midorima!" Miyaji exclaimed.

Midorima shook his head again, repeatedly whispering denial at the revelation, a shattering expression plastered on his countenance. Everything seemed to be crumbling around him. The oxygen on the air suddenly felt so limited, choking him at that moment. Among the chaos dancing on his cracked sanity, he caught a glimpse of his lover behind his seniors, who were attempting to calm him down, with pained guilt written all over his face. His orbs were glassy as he looked at his Shin-chan becoming more erratic as seconds flew past.

 _"I'm sorry, Shin-chan."_

"No!"

Midorima bolted past the upperclassmen and out of the locker room, stunning them for a moment before coming to their senses and dashed after him. He headed to the gym room, slamming the door open which shocked the occupants inside. Midorima paid no attention to their surprised faces as they took in his panic state. He frantically looked around to search the face that he desperately wanted to see again, only to be greeted with several familiar faces but none of whom he searched for.

 _'Takao?! Takao?! Where are you?! You always tell me if you had to go first...why didn't you tell me this time?! Why did you leave me? Takao...'_

"Midorima, what's wrong?"

The said boy stopped his search, despite the itchiness beneath his skin to continue his attempt, and faced his captain, Miyaji Yuuya. His expression was contorted in concern and perplexity. The concern didn't just radiated from him. Midorima could also feel his coach's worried gaze on him as well as his upperclassmen who had just arrived in the gym room.

His green orbs shifted from left to right once more before he stuttered, "T...Ta...kao..?"

The shock shown on his captain's countenance and the gasp resonated from the coach and his other teammates were enough to let Midorima know about the truth of Takao's whereabout. His seniors weren't lying. Takao was really gone. But...why was he the only one who was hidden from the truth? - Or rather he couldn't find it in him to accept the loss that he began to see his lover everywhere when in reality, they were all in his mind. But...they felt so real. Takao's presence which enveloped around him felt warm. Why did they turn out to be an illusion? That's unfair...

Without a second thought, he took off outside, ignoring their call behind as his vision became blurred the further he ran.

"Midorima!"

...

Five days. That was how long he had caged himself in his room. He was too swept away by the river of sorrow to face the real world and move on with his life. His family and friends were worried. They had tried to persuade him to come out from his room (not counting the only time he went out of his room was to go to the bathroom, his foods were usually sent to him by his mother) several times to no avail. He knew his friends and teammates had come by his house in an attempt to pull him out of his own prison but he refused their help every single time. Had it had been at any other time, he would have felt guilty for making them worried about him and wasting their time. However, he couldn't force himself to do anything about it. Not when he was still held back by his longing for Kazunari.

He practically spent majority of his time laying or sitting on his bed, either falling asleep from the exhaustion of crying or simply staring, holding to a false hope that Takao would somehow appear. He didn't care if his lover only existed in his head. He didn't care if he was fake at this point. All he wanted was just to see and hold him again even for only a moment.

He missed him. He missed him so much that it hurt his heart simply by thinking about him. His sunny smile. His ebony locks and its softness when he ran his fingers through them. His silver-tinted blue orbs. The way he always called him by his ridiculous nickname: Shin-chan. His tendency to tackle him from behind which usually ended up becoming a piggy back ride much to Shintarou's annoyance. Their lucky items hunting adventures. Their kisses. Their teamwork during practice or official matches. His frequent teasing despite the fact that it - more often than not - irritated Shintarou to no end. He missed everything about him. How can he be free from this misery? When he couldn't find the strength in him to do so. And the pain stung so badly.

A knock on the door broke him out of his trance though he remained in the same position without much of an acknowledgement towards the person on the other side of the door.

"Shintarou," his mother called softly. "I've brought your dinner and...uh...please eat okay? I don't want you to get sick so...I'll just leave them here."

Her last sentence fell in a whisper with dull blue lace and worry. The slight clicking sounds of plate and glass were heard when she placed the tray of his dinner on the floor in front of his door. A soft sigh then followed by the sounds of footsteps as she walked away.

'I'm sorry, mother.' Shintarou's apology echoed in his mind. His eyes fluttered shut, eventually lulled to sleep by the silence of his grief.

...

Shintarou groaned as he slowly sat up on his bed after he woke up from his slumber. He felt rather exhausted though fortunately, it was not the nightmare's fault this time. In fact, he didn't experience nightmares ever since he had found out about the truth. It was like the only reason they disturbed him was to force him to solve the puzzle and now that the puzzle was completed, their job was done.

He put on his glasses and looked around the dark room, noting the fact that it seemed darker than before he rose from his slumber, indicating that it was night time outside. A dim 12.00 am shone from the face of his phone situated on the bedside table next to his bed. He let out a sigh before getting up from his bed with the intention to take a quick shower. He switched on the switch, bathing the room with bright light, causing him to squint his eyes from the burn. After a few moments of adjustment, his hand reached for the door handle when he noticed a small note lying on the floor. He blinked in confusion and kneeled to pick it up. When did it get there?

Shintarou couldn't recall if he was the one who dropped the note but it certainly wasn't anyone else since he barely let anyone into his room these past few days so the most likely candidate had to be him. Even so, he doubted that for some reason.

When he brought it up for closer inspection, he paused for a second before bolting out of his room and out of his house for the first time in a few days, not even caring at the fact that he went into the frozen night without his shoes on.

 _'Shin-chan, meet me at the park at midnight. Love, Kazunari.'_

...

"Why didn't you tell me, Kazunari?" Shintarou asked, voice thick with tears, carressing his lover's ebony lock. Oh how he missed this moment.

"It wasn't my place to tell you actually. Forgive me, Shin-chan." Kazunari's voice was slightly muffled from having his face pressed against Shintarou's broad chest. Like Shin-chan, he missed him too and yearned to be together again. Fortunately for them, Kazunari had just the right solution to this problem.

Shintarou nodded in understanding. He probably should have asked more as Kazunari's reply was quite vague. There were more questions need to be answered. However, he was too contented in having his raven-head lover back in his arms again that it became the last thing in his mind at this moment.

"Kazunari, are you real?"

"Perhaps."

"Then please don't leave me again."

The black-haired boy smiled. "I won't."

"I love you, Kazunari."

"I love you too, Shin-chan. Always and forever."

A tiny smile curved on Shintarou's countenance. "Yeah, always and forever."

"Then, let's be together forever, Shin-chan. I promise it will be fun."

For the first time in a long time, a chuckle escaped Shintarou's lips. "Idiot. Of course it will."

The sound of joy-filled laughter then echoed through the starry night.

...

"Hey, have you ever heard of the story 'The Hanging Tree'?"

The ex-Shuutoku small forward, Miyaji Kiyoshi, cringed as he overheard a pair of high school girls chattering about the topic that never failed to shower him with the feeling of nostalgia and...guilt. His flinch didn't go unnoticed by his husband, the ex-Rakuzan's player, Hayama Kotarou, who clung on his arm with a worried look on his face upon seeing his distressed expression.

"Oh, I've heard of it before but I don't know the whole story. Is it some kind of legend or something?"

"Nope, it's not a legend but it was a famous story around this neighbourhood. It's a true story after all."

The girl gasped. "Really?"

Her friend nodded.

Even after 15 years since that story was born, it had yet to lose its popularity - only dimmed. This doesn't sit well with Miyaji though there was nothing much he can do about it.

"Yes. This story happened 15 years ago. There was a pair of male high school lovers."

"Which school?"

The 'narrator' of the story shrugged. "I can't remember the name but I heard it's a nearby school."

"I see."

"Anyway, one evening, one of them went missing not long after dropping his lover at his home. His lover wasn't aware of it until the next morning when he did his morning jog to the park. Guess who he found in the park?"

"His lover right?"

"Correct, only not in the state he would have wanted to see. His lover was found hanged under this very tree," she said, pointing to the tree where both of them were standing underneath.

"What?! Seriously?"

"Shocking, I know. And before you ask, it's not suicide. Rather, he was actually murdered by a serial killer who has the knack of hanging people as a way of ending their life. In the investigation, it was found that there were signs of fierce struggle. He was lucky enough to escape the torture which the killer tended to inflict on his victims before their demise but unfortunately, not enough to escape his death."

"What happened to his lover who found him?"

"He collapsed. It's hard to imagine how he must have felt seeing his beloved in that state."

"True. How about the killer?"

"In prison fortunately."

"Thank God. So what happened afterwards?"

"He went mad. He couldn't accept the fact that his lover was gone that he began to hallucinate that his lover was there all along when in reality, he only existed in his head. This went on for a few months until...well no one really knows how did he 'wake up' but he did and not long after that, he received a note from his lover."

"Wait...how in the world did he get the note from his DEAD lover?"

"I was getting to that part. Anyway, that note told the guy to meet him at the stroke of midnight in the park. Not just any park, but this park," she gestured around the park where they were standing on. "Where his lover was hanged."

"Did he believe the note?"

"Yes...he did cause the next morning, he was found hanged from this tree, just beside the place where his lover was hanged. It was suicide. That's why this tree is called 'The Hanging Tree'. "

Her friend was speechless. Somehow she didn't see that coming and for some reasons, it sent chills down her spine.

"Oh and about the note, the truth is it never existed in the first place. Sure, there was a note left on the floor but it wasn't from his lover. It was actually his own suicide note, saying 'He's waiting for me in the park.' It was all in his mind just like the months before. There was also a speculation that the lover really do appear on that night and that he lured the guy into committing suicide so that they could be together for eternity but there were no concrete evidences," the girl smiled sadly. "All in all, it was a tragic love story. Almost like a twisted version of Romeo and Juliet excluding all those family dramas."

Her friend nodded in agreement. "Yeah and honestly, I find it a little hard to believe that such story can exist."

"True...I find it hard to believe myself when my mum first told me about it but it was on the news several years ago. They're long forgotten by now but the story still remains."

And with that, the girls departed from the park, leaving the couple, who were there with them from the beginning, behind, sitting on one of the benches.

"Kiyoshi...it's not your fault," Hayama said upon seeing guilt and sadness sinking into his spouse.

Miyaji never really liked the story in the first place because it's a remainder of a bitter past. The loss of his kouhais was a huge blow to him. Not just him but the other upperclassmen too. Not to mention, the Generation of Miracles. He knew it wasn't his fault but he couldn't help blaming himself because if only he had tried harder, if only he had detected the warning signs earlier, then Midorima would still be here right now.

"I know...it's just..." Miyaji muttered, clenching his fists.

"It's ok." Hayama rested his head on Miyaji's shoulder, tightening his grip on his arm in reassurance. "It's not your fault. I'm sure they won't want you to blame yourself."

The taller man slowly nodded as he leaned his head on his husband's and intertwined their fingers together. "Yeah..."

Truth to be told, another reason he despised the story was because he was afraid. Afraid of the thoughts of losing the love of his life just like Midorima lost Takao. Honestly, he won't know what to do if he had. Then again, nobody does. Grief can do anything to anyone. He prayed Hayama won't be leaving him anytime soon and that they would be together until they're old and gray.

Miyaji spared a glance at the tree and let out an almost inaudible sigh. You know, even if his kouhais' story ended in tragedy, even if they shouldn't end the way they did, even if so many have grieved for them, past is a past and time couldn't be turned. At least, they're together now. Free of pain. Only joy and serenity.

Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him but he thought that underneath the tree, a certain pair of Shuutoku's light and shadow were embracing, happiness clearly written on their faces.

The happiest he has ever seen them….

xxx

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